No Longer Slaves

I really didn’t want to write about sin today, but I think it’s what God is prompting me to write. As Christ-followers, we deal with sin. You do. I do. We all do. It’s a daily fight to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. This morning, my quiet time reading was out of Romans 8, one of my devotional books talked about sin, and recent our chapel message from Eric Geiger was about the consequences of sin. It’s so real.

Today I’m reminded that I’m a sinner, but I have been saved by grace. We live in the tension between the reality that sin is still present in our lives, but we have been set free because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. We are no longer enslaved to sin, so why are we still living like we are?

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 (CSB)

Maybe it’s time to ask a few questions:

When is the last time you confessed your sin before God?

Have you ever felt broken over your sin?

Is shame or condemnation hanging over your head, even after you’ve confessed sin?

“How you respond to your sin shows who you really are and what’s going on in your heart.” –Eric Geiger

This morning, I had to push pause on my scripture reading and just spend some time confessing my sins to the Lord. I know there’s nothing I can do that can separate me from Him, but relationships require that we talk about the hard things. My boyfriend and I had a hard conversation a few weeks ago, but after it was over, it was like someone had cleared the air between us. It’s the same (and even more significant) with the Lord – we have to talk about the hard things and clear the air, and then He can do His best work in our lives.

It’s critical that we have people in our lives we can be completely honest with, and who are praying for us and with us in these seasons. I’ve got a small handful of women I trust these hard things to, and I’m so grateful that they show me the love of Christ, but hold my feet to the fire when it comes to sin.

“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8: 8-11 (CSB)

Our call is to live as ones who have been set free.

Nothing can separate those of us who have put our faith in Jesus from him. We are His. He is ours. This means that we daily die to ourselves, and we confess our sins before Him. The more we know Him, the more we want to be like Him. The more like Him we become, the more we are changed from the inside out.

There’s nothing we can do to save ourselves, but He has called us by name to be His. Once we begin to live with this in mind, our lives begin to shift gears, and we find freedom in Christ. Today you can make the decision to quit living like you’re stuck in slavery, and begin to live as one who has been set free.

Mary Margaret Collingsworth serves as an Event Project Coordinator at LifeWay Christian Resources and coordinates training events for women in leadership. She has a passion to see women engaged in ministry and living out their calling. Mary Margaret loves teaching God’s Word, eating Mexican food, calling Nashville home, and hosting LifeWay Women’s{MARKED} podcast. Follow her on Twitter:@marymargaretc.